Millions of Canadians
from coast to coast to coast will join together to create, participate and
share during Culture Days — a national celebration of art, culture and
heritage. This inclusive experience is open to people of all ages and abilities,
encouraging them to be champions of local artistry by getting involved in unique
traditions. The free, three-day event is hosted by municipalities nationwide,
including the City of Vaughan, and runs from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.

This year, Vaughan Culture Days will begin with
a kick-off event at Dave and Buster’s on Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. with games, prizes,
refreshments and guest speakers. The program will be packed with local activities
as well as a number of special Canada 150 initiatives, including an I.AM
(Intergenerational Arts Movement) festival with a First Nations exhibit,
open-mic night and sunrise walk. The weekend will wrap up on Oct. 1 with Vaughan’s
first-ever E!Games Challenge for youth and adults. Together with Dave and
Buster’s, Vaughan Game Con and other community partners, this full day of fun
offers a variety of games and some of the industry's newest consoles. Adults will also be able to compete in Xbox One and
PlayStation 4 Ultimate Gamer VIP tournaments, with plenty of prizes to be won.

Art and culture enthusiasts are also invited to
view the urbanGRAFFITI exhibit on display in Vaughan City Hall’s on the slate Atrium
Gallery. The paintings by Suzanne Metz depict her interpretation of Vaughan's
vision for its new downtown – the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC).

QUOTE

“Whether you
paint, dance, write, sing, sculpt or simply enjoy taking in art through its
many forms, you will certainly enjoy the Culture Days experience.This event serves to connect people through
creativity, and encourage them to become active participants in shaping our
artistic and cultural identity. As Vaughan continues its transformation, our
vision is to build a place where people are drawn to celebrate the arts. This has
been a particularly special year as we honour Canada’s 150th birthday through
creative expression. I look forward to joining our community in this unique
initiative, and encourage everyone to come out and enjoy one of the many
exciting events taking place throughout the City of Vaughan.”

-Mayor Maurizio
Bevilacqua

QUICK FACTS

Culture Days officially launched nationwide in 2010.

It was created in response to the growing realization that arts and culture contribute to building vibrant, healthy and lasting communities.

Culture Days is a non-profit organization dedicated to building a national network of cultural connections devoted to providing Canadians with opportunities to participate in and appreciate all forms of art and culture.

Every year, millions of Canadians engage in thousands of free activities and performances hosted by artists, cultural organizations and municipalities in communities across Canada.

Vaughan Culture Days event highlights include:

I.AM Enough Community Arts Festival: the I.AM (Intergenerational Arts Movement) will feature works by local artists as well as the Noojamadaa (which means let’s heal) Exhibit by First Nations artists from Manitoulin Island.

Art windows at select Hero Certified Burgers locations: in celebration of Canada 150, local artist Andrew Abballe will paint original artwork on five Hero Certified Burgers windows across the city depicting Vaughan landscapes and heritage images. Citizens are encouraged to take a picture of their favourite window and post it on Instagram using #HeroCertifiedBurgers, #vaughanculturedays or #vaughanCAN150 for a chance to win prizes.

Discover the Magic of Music: explore music in a changing world from early contemporary to the modern digital age. The public is invited to experiment with different musical instruments and new digital studio equipment.

Dream Weaver Project with ThinkinEd: the community is invited to weave their dreams for Vaughan’s future into a tactile, interactive collective art piece that will tell the City’s colourful and evolving story.